Tomatoes!

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It seems that everywhere I look these days there are piles of awesome tomatoes. From minuscule pear tomatoes to giant beefsteaks, from bright red to forest green, you can find a tomato to match any décor. Aesthetics aside for a moment, we’re also in that glorious window where the grand majority of the tomatoes taste great, too. And having all those shapes and colors to play around with is a lot of fun. As a result, I’ve been on a bit of a tomato binge lately. Naturally, pasta has figured prominently, as it is an excellent way to showcase sweet tomato perfection. Habitual readers of this blog may remember that I have a penchant for throwing raw tomatoes into just-cooked pasta, letting the residual heat warm the tomatoes just enough to really bring out their flavor. (Like I did last spring, and earlier this summer.)

The rainbow of little tomatoes pictured at the top of this post called out for just such a treatment. In order to add even more late-summer vegetable goodness, I sliced and sautéed some cute little light green zucchinis. When they had some tasty sear marks, I threw in some garlic and fresh chives, cut the fire, and tossed in the tomatoes.

Cooked farfalle, or papillons, as they’re called in France (both of which mean “butterflies” – why do we insist on calling them “bow-ties?”), and a generous drizzle of olive oil joined the party and it was ready to dish up. Liberal use of Parmigiano-Reggiano is encouraged chez moi, so the bowls each received a handsome grating of cheese before serving.

It made a splendid summer meal: fresh and light, but no slouch in the flavor department. When nature hands you such wonderful produce, just do as little as possible. That’s the beauty of cooking with the seasons.